Articles Posted in Laws

It Takes an Act of Congress… Updated: by

I am dedicating this episode of Congressional Haiku to Representative Cliff Stearns (R-FL). Interwebs awake From winter dreams. Dot.gov links, PageRank blossoms. Washington is no stranger to political gridlock. And, we expect a certain amount of intransigence when Republicans and Democrats coalesce. But, in a shocking act of all that's…

Online Gambling Legalization Comes to the Forefront in Several States Updated: by

New Jersey's governor Chris Christie vetoed a bill on Thursday that would have legalized online gambling inside the state's borders. Several other states, including Iowa, California, and Florida are considering similar legislation. In New Jersey, those in favor of the bill touted it as a way to create 1,500 jobs…

‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Has Not Been Repealed Updated: by

Two months ago, a huge celebration marked the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), the policy that allowed the military to treat gays and lesbians differently than heterosexual members of the armed forces. The repeal represented a big win for the LGBT community. https://youtu.be/cS26CciE0VQ

Slip Sliding Away – Massachusetts’ New Sidewalk Law on Snow and Ice Updated: by

I know we’re all aware that the Northeast has a lot of snow – and I mean, a lot of snow. What you may not have heard of though is a decision that came down from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court this past July which overturned over a century of…

President Obama Streamlining Regulations Updated: by

Last week, President Obama ordered a review of US Regulations to remove rules perceived to be outdated, stifling job creation, and making our economy less competitive in the world marketplace. In an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, he described it as thus: "This order requires that federal agencies ensure that…

“It’s Not Personal E-Mail…It’s Strictly Business” Updated: by

We've all used work e-mail for personal stuff, haven't we? You know: connecting with college friends, organizing family reunions, and making appointments with our lawyers, right? Wait a second….what was that last thing? If you live in Northern California, take note: a state appeals court just ruled that an employee's…

Follow the Money at MapLight.org Updated: by

We've come a long way from a parking garage in Virginia. While some of our readers may already know of MapLight.org, I wanted to make special note of this terrific site that tracks the connection between money and politics, especially in light of recent reports that corporate contributions have surged…

If The Patriot Act is Renewed in the Forest, Does Anyone Notice? Updated: by

A hat-tip to Mary Minow for alerting readers via her Library Law Blog post last week that Representative Mike Rogers of Michigan introduced HR 67 on January 5, 2011 to extend the PATRIOT Act yet another year to February, 2012. Given the short amount of time available…